Tempering- steel springs



G. G. 8: H. M. PLUM'PTON. TEMPBRINGSPRINGS.

No. 28,600. Patented June 5. 1860 UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

o. G. PLIMPTON AND H. M. PLIMPTON, OF WALPOLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

TEMPERING STEEL SPRINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 28,600, dated June 5, 1860.

TolaZZ whom it may. concern:

Be it known that we, C. G. PLIMITON and H. M. PLIMPTON,.OIE \Valpole, in the county of Norfolk and Stateof Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tempering Steel Springs and other Articles of Steel lVhich Require to be Bent in a Particular Form and Tempered; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a drop press with our invention applied to it. Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same taken in the line m, m, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

The object of this invention is to not only facilitate the manufacture of tempered steel articles but also to temper the same in a better manner than heretofore. The invention is applicable to the manufacture of all steel articles which require to be bent or swaged in a particular form and tempered.

The invention consists in applying water to the article to be tempered while the latter is under pressure and while being confined within the swage or die and under the same heat in which it was formed or bent.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct our invention we will proceed to describe it.

A represents a base or platform having two uprights B, B, attached on which the ends of a horizontal bar C, are fitted, the bar being allowed to slide freely up and down on said uprights which are simply guides for the bar. On the base or platform A, there is a die D, which longitudinally is of concave form and is intended for forming the leaf of an elliptic spring. The upper surface or face of the die is provided with a longitudinal groove a, which is somewhat less in width than the face of the die but extends nearly or quite its whole length. The die D, is in line with the bar C, and the under surface of the bar C, is made convex corresponding inversely with the concave form of the die D, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. The bar C, is simply a press and may be elevated by means of a chain 6, which passes over a pulley 0, on a shaft (Z, placed in a framing at the back of the bar C. One

end of the shaft (Z,is fitted in a sliding bearing 6, which is attached to a rod f, the lower end of the rod being connected to lever E, which extends forward through a guide 9, attached to the outer side of an upright h, near one of'the uprights B.

To the inner side, of the uprights h, a lever F, is attached, 2', being its fulcrum pin, and to the lower end of the lever F, there is secured a pin j, which passes through the upright h, and retains or holds the front end of the lever E, down and keeps a pinion is, on the outer end of shaft d, in gear with a wheel, Z, on the driving shaft m.

To the back side of the die D, there is attached an arm G, by a pivot n. The upper end of arm G, is notched and the arm has a spring H, bearing against it, said spring having a tendency to keep the upper end of the arm G, toward the bar G. The upper part of the arm G, is connected by a rod 0, with a lever p, which is secured to one side of an upright g, and has its lower end connected by a rod 1', to a treadle I, as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

The parts above described constitute what is generally known as a drop press.

To each side of the die D, there is attached a tube J, which communicates with the groove a, in the face of the die D. The tubes J, J communicate with a water reservoir K, near the drop.

The operation is as follows: The steel bar L, to be bent or swaged in the desired form, after being properly heated, is placed on the die D, the bar C, being previously elevated by depressing the front end of lever E, so as to keep the pinion 7c, in gear with the wheel Z, the pin 7', at the lower end of the lever F, keeping the front end of the lever E, depressed. When the bar C, has reached a proper height, one end of bar C, actuates the lever F, and draws the pin j, out from the upright h, thereby releasing lever E, so that the pinion 7:, may drop out of gear from 1 wheel Z. The bar C, is held up by the arm G. hen the heated bar L, is placed on the die D, and properly adjusted, the arm Gr, is thrown back from underneath the bar C, by depressing the treadle I, and the tubes J, J, into the groove a, said water 11 coming in contact with the heated bar L and tempering the same Wh1le confined in the die or press.

By tempering the die While under pressure the Work is done perfectly, greatly exceeding the ordinary Way besides much is saved in time as by our improvement the Work of sWaging or forming and tempering is performed simultaneously.

We do not confine ourselves to the manufacture of any particular article as the improvement may be applied in all cases Where steel articles are tobe bent or swaged in any particular form and tempered. Neither do We confine ourselves to any particular form of press, or swaging devices for forming the articles-or for holding them in proper WVitnesses: v V

AARON SPEAK, CHARLES ROBINSON. 

